Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire

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Worth the wait.

By Chad Grischow

With eight-years separating the release of his debut and sophomore albums, one might wonder why Sean Lennon is back - in a word, inspiration. Lennon wrote the album based on his ex-girlfriend who cheated with his best friend, who subsequently died in a motorcycle accident before the two reconciled. As Lennon proves, in the hands of a great songwriter incredible sadness can turn into beautiful art.

The album features a vast array of guest appearances, from Ryan Adams to Yoko Ono to Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) to Ben Lee. Good luck finding them without scanning the liner notes. Often, such a large variety of guests can muddy up a production, but to Lennon's credit, the album sounds 100% his album throughout. As the subject matter would indicate, the album is a melancholy effort full of moody melodic material. Between the spine-chilling childlike piano that bookends it and the haunting "You're gonna get what you deserve" hook, "Dead Meat" sets the wonderfully downtrodden and bitter tone for the album.

Emotional acoustic based "Friendly Fire" describes the betrayal in the hook, "You launched the assault with the first cannonball / My soldiers were sleeping / I know that you thought it would never come down / Down to the wire / It's friendly fire". The swaying melodic folk tune appropriately sounds more like a man disappointed than a man enraged. Sounding as though taking its cues from Paul McCartney's solo work, Lennon's swirling emotions over his ex come to a head on the dreamy pych-pop of "Spectacle". Lennon chides his ex for being the center of attention with lyrics like, "Your favorite dress for the world see through / You spilled your drink, but you didn't mean to".

The plucky "Parachute" is an enchanting organ and guitar driven song about the fall from grace of a relationship. Lennon's eerie, "If I have to die tonight, I'd rather be with you /Cut the parachute before you die", hook gives extra chills with the kidlike "la, la, la, la, la" backing vocals. A ragged hard-strummed acoustic guitar sets the tone on "Headlights", as a toe-tapping clap track makes it nearly impossible to listen to passively. Lennon's melodic, "So let's hide all the diamonds and cocaine / For a rainy day, and never forget to pray", hook turns it into a drug-haze pop gem.

If you can get accustomed to Lennon's vocals, Friendly Fire is a stunning album. His tender nasally tone is an acquired taste that takes some getting used to, but the captivating tone of the album makes the unconventional vocals more than bearable. Hopefully, for the sake of both Lennon and fans, we will not have to wait another eight years for inspiration to strike, nor will it be so painful.